Vulture-Class Droid Starfighter
The Variable Geometry Self-Propelled Battle Droid Mk. I, better known as the Vulture-class droid starfighter, was a fully-automated droid starfighter used by the Trade Federation. Later, in much greater numbers, it was integrated into the Confederacy of Independent Systems Navy. It participated heavily in the Clone Wars, at engagements such as the Battle of Geonosis and Coruscant. As with most of the Trade Federation's forces, it carried no living pilot, but had a droid brain that was linked to a central control computer, often aboard a Lucrehulk-class battleship. Each one of these battleships carried 1,500 Vulture-class droid starfighters. The Vulture-class was designed by Haor Chall Engineering, which was founded by the fanatical Xi Char, a religious order dedicated to high-precision manufacturing. It was influenced by classic Xi Charrian design, an insectisoid appearance, multiple weapons emplacements, and a compact body that offered only a small target for enemy ships. Description The starfighter carried four blaster cannons and two energy torpedo launchers, and could reach 1200 kilometers per hour in a planet's atmosphere. The starfighter could transform into a walking weapons platform, used for ground patrol and troop support. While in this mode, a vulture droid could also latch onto surfaces in zero gravity, making it able to launch directly from the external hull of a capital ship. This class's thrust dampers,if disabled, forced them to switch to the walker mode to operate. Vultures were programmed to self-destruct if their link with their host control ship was severed. This is due to Vulture-class starfighters being controlled via a Central Control Computer on a Lucrehulk-class battleship. A droid starfighter was capable of maneuvers that would most likely kill or seriously injure an organic pilot, but they lacked the intelligence of living pilots, although they were capable of responding much faster. Vulture fighters had an unusual fuel system, relying on solid-fuel concentrate slugs that provided propulsion upon ignition. A major weakness of the vulture fighter was that it could only function for 35 minutes before having to be refueled. The Trade Federation solved this issue by sending Vulture droids into battle in timed, rotating swarms. Although they could react quicker to new situations than living pilots, they had difficulty responding to friendly units firing on them, a weakness Mace Windu exploited on Haruun Kal and the Battle of Coruscant. Vulture droids could communicate with one another, usually with a robotic chattering. In addition to this, Vulture-class droids were capable of communicating with other types of battle droid units. Vulture droid starfighters were named by a six-digit designation number, consisting of DFS- and a three-digit alpha-numeric combination, for example DFS-1VR and DFS-4CT. Vulture-class fighters were launched in massive numbers and were efficient in both atmospheric and space combat. The vulture droid's weapon systems consisted of four blaster cannons with two per wing. In standard flight format, the wings were collapsed to conceal its blaster cannons. In combat, these wings opened to reveal it's blaster cannons. In addition, it possessed two energy torpedo launchers that would weaken enemy targets before it delivered a blaster cannon barrage. In walker-mode, the Vulture-class could only use its two torpedo launchers as its cannons were situated on the legs and pointed downwards. Vulture droids were later modified to carry six blaster cannons and four buzz droid discord missiles (instead of energy torpedoes) by the CIS during the Clone Wars. History Pre-Clone Wars The droid starfighter saw rigorous testing before being deployed in the Trade Federation invasion of Naboo in 32 BBY. Droid starfighters first saw action during skirmishes with Degan pirates in the Elrood sector defeated the pirate Nym's forces on Lok. The Naboo first encountered these starfighters when Echo Flight pilots led by Essara Till battled them during an assault on Station TFP-9, not long before the invasion of Naboo. The Vulture starfighter provided the Trade Federation with air and space superiority in their invasion of Naboo, during which they fought Naboo N-1 starfighters in the battle above the planet. They were ultimately neutralized when Anakin Skywalker destroyed the Lucrehulk-class battleship controlling them. After the battle, Vulture-class droid starfighters commanded by Raith Sienar participated as part of the Trade Federation Defense Fleet alongside Republic forces during the attack on the living world Zonama Sekot. They were part of the Trade Federation force sent to destroy Outbound Flight, but were neutralized thanks to the Chiss Commander Thrawn, who exploited their reliance on the droid control signal by jamming its entire spectrum, nullifying the entire force. They also saw action during the Trade Federation's occupation of the Karthakk system. The Clone Wars As the Trade Federation joined the Confederacy of Independent Systems, it devoted it's armed forces to the Confederacy for it's war effort. Baktoid Armor Workshop began production of the Vulture starfighter which had previously been built only by the Xi Char. Vulture starfighters belonging to the CIS saw action at the battle of Geonosis, combating the Republic's LAAT gunships during the Republic's assault on the planet. The Vulture starfighter was the most used and numerous CIS starfighter, although the Confederacy also made substantial use of other fighters, such as the Nantex-class territorial defense starfighter. In addition to being launched from capital ships, vulture droids could also be deployed from satellite pods to defend Confederacy space from hostile approaching vessels. Vulture-class fighters were used throughout the entire war, and were seen in great numbers at the battle of Coruscant. However, they did not pose a serious challenge for Jedi aces such as Anakin Skywalker. General Grievous often used them for suicide attacks designed to sow chaos, by making them perform kamikaze attacks on civilian targets. Late in the war were being replaced with the sturdier droid tri-fighter. Post-Clone Wars Although Darth Vader deactivated the droid armies at the end of the Clone Wars, Vulture-class units were apparently being used by some parties by 18 BBY. Several Vulture-class starfighters were also modified by Separatist holdouts during the Reconquest of the Rim to accompany living pilots.